Admissions Policy
Statement of Non-Discrimination
In accordance with federal and state laws, The Art of Education University prohibits discrimination based on actual or perceived age, race, color, national origin/ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, and related conditions), physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, uniformed service member status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws.
Graduate Admissions
All students, whether pursuing a master’s degree or registering for courses independently, must complete an application for their desired program. Click here to select the correct application. The Art of Education University accepts applications continuously throughout the year.
Incomplete applications expire after 60 days.
Admissions questions may be directed to admissions@theartofeducation.edu or 515.236.5050.
Official Transcripts
All students, regardless of degree-seeking status, must submit official transcripts documenting a conferred bachelor’s degree or higher from an appropriately accredited institution. Students who do not submit official transcripts at the time of application will have a transcript hold placed on their account, which restricts access to final grades, unofficial transcripts, and the ability to receive or send an official transcript.
Applicants may submit unofficial transcripts to the registrar’s office for determining admissibility; however, any offer of acceptance is conditional pending receipt of official transcripts.
The Art of Education University considers a transcript official when sent directly from the issuing institution. Students may send official transcripts through the following methods:
- Parchment Exchange
- Through other electronic services providers to the following email address: transcripts@theartofeducation.edu
- Mailed* in a sealed envelope directly from the issuing institution to the following address:
Attn: Registrar
The Art of Education University
518 Main St. Suite A
Osage, IA 50461
*Note: Mailed transcripts take approximately 4–6 weeks to receive and process.
English Proficiency
Online coursework at The Art of Education University requires graduate-level reading and writing. Applicants whose native language is not English must submit documentation of passing English language proficiency scores to admissions@theartofeducation.edu. Students may be withdrawn from individual courses and the master’s degree program if they can not meet the requirements of graduate-level coursework. Students who are dropped or withdrawn from a course for inadequate English language proficiency are entitled to a tuition refund according to the Refund Policy. An earned grade of a W may appear on the student’s official transcript depending on when the drop or withdrawal is processed per the Add/Drop Policy and Course Withdrawal Policy.
| ACCEPTED TEST | MINIMUM SCORE |
| Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) | 60 on the paper-delivered test (PBT) or 71 on the internet-based test (iBT) |
| International English Language Test (IELTS) | 6.5 |
| Pearson Test of English | 50 |
| Duolingo English Test | 100 |
Direct additional questions to registrar@theartofeducation.edu or 515.236.5094.
Application Requirements: Master of Arts in Art Education
Prospective students applying for the Master of Arts in Art Education degree must submit an application form, an application fee of $50, official transcripts, and two artifacts for review.
The application to the Master of Arts in Art Education is designed to showcase prospective students’ professional qualifications, passion for art education, and ability to succeed in a master’s-level program. Applicants must submit the following artifacts for review:
- Writing sample
- Micro-portfolio
Specific instructions are detailed in the application and the application portal. Upon submission of the application form, an email will be sent with detailed instructions for submitting the additional application components listed above. Incomplete applications will be withdrawn after 60 days, and the application fee will be forfeited.
Students with no formal academic preparation or experiential background in art and/or art education may be required to provide additional information and/or take prerequisite coursework for admittance to the degree program. See the Conditional Admittance Policy for details.
Application Requirements: Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction
Prospective students applying for the Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction degree must submit an application form, an application fee of $50, official transcripts, and two artifacts for review.
The application to the Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction is designed to showcase applicants’ professional qualifications, passion for curriculum, assessment, and instruction, and ability to succeed in a master’s-level program. Applicants must submit the following artifacts for review:
- Writing sample
- Micro-portfolio
Specific instructions are detailed in the application and the application portal. Upon submission of the application form, an email will be sent with detailed instructions for submitting the additional application components listed above. Incomplete applications will be withdrawn after 60 days, and the application fee will be forfeited.
Students with no formal academic preparation or experiential background in art education and/or education may be required to provide additional information and/or take prerequisite coursework for admittance to the degree program. See the Conditional Admittance Policy for details.
Application Review
The review process begins when all admission materials are on file. Applicants who apply in person at special events may participate in the interview before all official documents are received, but admissions decisions are not final until all documents are received.
If denied, applicants may choose to reapply. All fees apply.
Conditional Admittance
Eligible applicants who possess a bachelor’s degree but no formal academic preparation or experiential background in art, education, and/or art education may be required to provide additional information and/or complete prerequisite coursework for admittance to the degree program. Tuition for these courses is in addition to the total cost of the degree program.
Program Enrollment
Accepted degree-seeking candidates must review, sign, and accept the Enrollment Agreement to enroll in the program and begin their degree. This document stays on file and serves as the agreement for the duration of the degree program. Students can access their signed Enrollment Agreement at any time through the student portal. The Enrollment Agreement indicates that AOEU reserves the right to change tuition, policies, and fees for future terms. The university will provide written notification of substantive changes to tuition, fees, and policies no later than 90 days prior to the effective change date.
Enrollment Agreement Expiration
An accepted application remains valid up to two terms, or 60 days, after the original acceptance term. Deferrals for admission may be requested within this time period without the need to reapply. Students who do not enroll or do not request a deferral by 60 days after an application has been accepted will need to reapply for future consideration. All fees, rules, and regulations at the time of reapplication will apply.
Maximum Time to Complete
Students must complete their graduate degree within five years of program enrollment. Once the five-year period from initial enrollment has expired, a student must reapply to the program. All policies and fees apply.
International Student Admission Requirements
The Art of Education University welcomes international applicants for degree programs and continuing education coursework.
International Transcripts
Prospective students who completed their degree at a university outside the United States must request a copy of an approved foreign evaluation services report showing an equivalent to U.S. bachelor’s degree completion. If the transcript is in a language other than English, it must be accompanied by certified English translations.
Copies of the evaluations must be sent to AOEU directly from the evaluation agency.
AOEU’s preferred credential evaluation organization is SpanTran (https://spantran.com/services/evaluations). However, foreign transcript evaluations are accepted from any agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES—www.naces.org) or the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE—www.aice-eval.org).
Additional questions may be directed to registrar@theartofeducation.edu or 515.236.5094.
International Transfer Credit Evaluation
Prospective students who attended a non-U.S. post-secondary institution, college, or university and wish to transfer in credits from that institution must have a course-by-course evaluation done by a professional credit-evaluation agency who is a member of AICE or NACES. Copies of the evaluations must be sent to AOEU directly from the evaluation agency.
AOEU’s preferred credential evaluation organization is SpanTran (https://spantran.com/services/evaluations). However, foreign transcript evaluations are accepted from any agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (www.naces.org) or the Association of International Credential Evaluators (www.aice-eval.org).
Additional questions may be directed to registrar@theartofeducation.edu or 515.236.5094.
Exemptions
Required documentation of English language proficiency may be waived if the student earned a degree from an institution where English was the primary language of instruction.
Second Graduate Degree Requirements
Students returning for a subsequent degree program must apply for admission. Returning students are required to have completed a graduation audit and an evaluation of credit prior to beginning their next degree program with AOEU. No more than 50% of the credits may overlap with another earned degree at The Art of Education University. All fees, rules, and regulations at the time of application to a second degree program will apply.
Degree Program Changes
Students enrolled in one of AOEU’s degree programs and in good academic standing may apply to change to a different degree program at any time. Before any changes can be finalized, students must apply and be accepted to the new degree program. All fees, rules, and regulations at the time of reapplication will apply.
The student should carefully review the requirements of the potential new program and the current graduate catalog version and work closely with their advisor to determine the best path forward. The start of the new program must correspond with the start of the student’s next eligible term.
Previously transferred and completed coursework through The Art of Education University may not apply to the new program due to differences in degree requirements. Students are allowed to change their degree program only once. Any subsequent request to change the degree program requires approval from the Dean of Graduate Studies. Before changing degree programs, all official transcripts must be on file.
Declaring a Specialization
The Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction has three specialization track options. Each 12-credit option fulfills the elective requirements for the degree. Students are required to declare their intended specialization at the time of program application.
Specialization Changes
A student seeking to change their specialization track must be in good academic standing. The student should carefully review the requirements of the potential new specialization and work with their advisor to determine which coursework will apply to the new specialization.
Because coursework within specializations is not interchangeable, students who begin one specialization and switch to another may see changes to their graduation timeline and additional tuition costs resulting from the requested change.
Previously transferred or completed coursework through The Art of Education University may not apply to the new specialization. Students are allowed to change their specialization one time. Any subsequent request to change specialization requires a request to and approval from the Dean of Graduate Studies.
Additional information may be found in the current edition of the Graduate Catalog.
If you have specific questions or concerns not addressed here, contact help@theartofeducation.edu for clarification.